مادامَso long as وَعدُthe promise of الأَمانيhopes غَيرَnot مُنتَجِزِfulfilled
مادامَ وَعدُ الأَماني غَيرَ مُنتَجِزِ
فَطولُthen the length of مَكثِكَyour stay مَنسوبٌis attributed إِلىto العَجَزِweakness
فَطولُ مَكثِكَ مَنسوبٌ إِلى العَجَزِ
So long as the promise of hopes remains unfulfilled,
Then your long delay is ascribed to weakness.
هَذيthese are المَغانِمُthe spoils فَاِمدُدso stretch out كَفَّthe hand of مُنتَهِبٍa plunderer
هَذي المَغانِمُ فَاِمدُد كَفَّ مُنتَهِبٍ
وَفُرصَةُand the opportunity of الدَهرِtime فَاِسبُقso race ahead سَبقَthe racing ahead of مُنتَهِزِone seizing a chance
وَفُرصَةُ الدَهرِ فَاِسبُق سَبقَ مُنتَهِزِ
Here are the spoils; stretch forth a plunderer's hand.
And here is time's chance; race ahead like one who seizes it.
وَاِغزُand invade العِدىthe enemies قَبلَbefore تَغزوناthey invade us جُيوشُهُمُtheir armies
وَاِغزُ العِدى قَبلَ تَغزونا جُيوشُهُمُ
إِنَّindeed الشُجاعَthe brave man إِذاwhen مَلَّtires of الغُزاةَthe raiders غُزيis raided
إِنَّ الشُجاعَ إِذا مَلَّ الغُزاةَ غُزي
And invade the enemy before their armies invade us.
Indeed, when the brave man tires of raiders, he is himself raided.
وَاِلقَand face العَدُوَّthe enemy بِجَأشٍwith a heart غَيرِnot مُحتَرِسٍguarding itself
وَاِلقَ العَدُوَّ بِجَأشٍ غَيرِ مُحتَرِسٍ
مِنَagainst المَناياdeadly fates وَجَيشٍand an army غَيرَnot مُحتَرِزِtaking precautions
مِنَ المَنايا وَجَيشٍ غَيرَ مُحتَرِزِ
And face the enemy with a heart unafraid
Of death, and with an army that takes no precautions.
لاdo not تَترُكِabandon الثَأرَvengeance مِنagainst قَومٍa people مُرادُهُمُtheir aim
لا تَترُكِ الثَأرَ مِن قَومٍ مُرادُهُمُ
إِخفاءُthe concealment of ذِكرٍa name لَناof ours فيamong الناسِpeople مُنتَبِزِprominent
إِخفاءُ ذِكرٍ لَنا في الناسِ مُنتَبِزِ
Do not abandon vengeance against a people whose aim is
To obscure our name, prominent among men.
ماwhat عُذرُناour excuse وَبَنوwhile the sons of الأَعمامِpaternal uncles لَيسَthere is no بِهاamong them
ما عُذرُنا وَبَنو الأَعمامِ لَيسَ بِها
نَقصٌdeficiency وَلاnor فيamong صِفاحِthe sword-blades of الهِندِIndia مِنany عَوَزِlack
نَقصٌ وَلا في صِفاحِ الهِندِ مِن عَوَزِ
What excuse have we, when our cousins have no
Deficiency, and there is no lack of Indian blades?
بَلrather كُلُّevery مُنصَلِتٍan unsheathed blade مِنّاof ours وَمُنصَلِحٍand a serviceable one
بَل كُلُّ مُنصَلِتٍ مِنّا وَمُنصَلِحٍ
فيin كَفِّthe hand of مُرتَجِلٍan extempore poet مِنّاamong us وَمُرتَجِزِand a rajaz chanter
في كَفِّ مُرتَجِلٍ مِنّا وَمُرتَجِزِ
Rather, each unsheathed blade of ours, and each serviceable one,
Is in the hands of our extempore poets and rajaz chanters.
وَكُلُّand every ذيone possessing صَمَمٍunyielding hardness فيin كَفِّthe hand of ذيone possessing هِمَمٍhigh aspirations
وَكُلُّ ذي صَمَمٍ في كَفِّ ذي هِمَمٍ
وَكُلُّand every ذيone possessing مَيَسٍswaying فيin كَفِّthe hand of ذيone possessing مَيَزِdiscernment
وَكُلُّ ذي مَيَسٍ في كَفِّ ذي مَيَزِ
And every unyielding blade is in the hand of a man of high resolve,
And every swaying spear in the hand of a discerning man.
فَاِقمَعso crush بِناthrough us الضِدَّthe foe ماas long as دامَتremain أَوامِرُناour commands
فَاِقمَع بِنا الضِدَّ ما دامَت أَوامِرُنا
مُطاعَةًobeyed وَمَعاليناand our lofty honors عَلىupon نَشَزِhigh ground
مُطاعَةً وَمَعالينا عَلى نَشَزِ
So crush the foe through us, as long as our commands remain
Obeyed, and our glories stand upon high ground.
إِنَّindeed الوِلايَةَauthority ثَوبٌa robe قَدalready خُصِصتَyou have been singled out بِهِwith it
إِنَّ الوِلايَةَ ثَوبٌ قَد خُصِصتَ بِهِ
جاءَتit came كَفافاًan exact fit فَلَمso did not تَفضَلexceed the measure وَلَمand did not تَعُزِprove scant
جاءَت كَفافاً فَلَم تَفضَل وَلَم تَعُزِ
Authority is a robe bestowed especially upon you;
It came an exact fit, neither too ample nor too scant.
وافَتكَit came to you إِذَwhen رَأَتِit saw العَلياءَeminence قَدalready نُسِبَتhad been ascribed
وافَتكَ إِذَ رَأَتِ العَلياءَ قَد نُسِبَت
إِلَيكَto you وَالشَرَفَand honor الأَعلىthe highest إِلَيكَto you عُزيwas attributed
إِلَيكَ وَالشَرَفَ الأَعلى إِلَيكَ عُزي
It came to you when it saw that eminence had been ascribed
To you, and the highest honor attributed to you.
لُذناwe sought refuge بِظِلِّكَin your shade عِلماًknowing أَنَّthat فيكَin you لَناfor us
لُذنا بِظِلِّكَ عِلماً أَنَّ فيكَ لَنا
نَيلَthe attainment of الأَمانيhopes وَمَنand whoever يَلقَattains المُنىwishes يَفُزِtriumphs
نَيلَ الأَماني وَمَن يَلقَ المُنى يَفُزِ
We sought refuge in your shade, knowing that in you we would find
The fulfillment of hopes; and whoever attains his wishes triumphs.
ماnot رَكَّبَimplanted اللَهُGod فيin أَحداقِناour pupils بَصَراًsight
ما رَكَّبَ اللَهُ في أَحداقِنا بَصَراً
إِلّاexcept لِنَفرُقَso that we may distinguish بَينَbetween الدُرَّpearls وَالحَرَزِand amulets
إِلّا لِنَفرُقَ بَينَ الدُرَّ وَالحَرَزِ
God did not implant sight within our eyes
Except so that we might distinguish pearls from amulets.